Impossible Chili (The Best Meaty Vegan Chili)
If you love meaty chili, you’ll love this Impossible chili recipe. Made with impossible ground meat, beans, plenty of spices, and a few secret ingredients for the best vegan chili!
I love chili this time of year. There’s a nice chilly bite in the air and nothing says fall or football Sunday’s like a big bowl of chili (especially when paired with a slice of my favorite cornbread.)
It’s probably no surprise then that I’ve got almost a dozen different chili recipes on my website– a vegetarian bean chili, vegan lentil chili, white bean chili, TVP chili, tempeh chili… you get the point.
I’ve been cooking more and more with meat alternatives like Impossible meat (make sure to check out my Impossible Meatballs!), and it was only a matter of time before I created an impossible chili recipe.
See below for more details and tips for success, or scroll down to the full recipe.
Ingredients and Substitutions
This impossible chili is made with classic chili ingredients– beans, vegan meat, spices, tomatoes and broth.
However, there are a few secret ingredients that make this chili incredible. The first is adding a little cocoa powder. Cocoa powder adds a layer of richness and complexity to the chili. It balances out the spiciness and brings out the flavors of the other ingredients.
The subtle bitterness of cocoa powder complements the heat of the chili powder and other spices, making them more pronounced. And, of course, cocoa powder contains natural umami compounds, which are savory and satisfying. This can be especially beneficial in vegetarian or vegan chili, like this one, where the umami flavor from meat is absent.
To add to that umami flavor, I’m also calling for toasting the tomato paste with the chopped onion until darkened and very fragrant.
I like beans in my chili and prefer kidney beans for this one, but you can also use pinto beans.
If you can find crushed, fire-roasted tomatoes, then they are fantastic in this Impossible chili. However, they can be hard to find. Regular crushed tomatoes work fine.
How to Make this Impossible Chili
Cook the Onion
Cook the onion until very tender, then add in the garlic.
Add the meat and spices
Add the tomato paste and toast for a few minutes, then add in the meat and spices and cook until the meat is browned.
Add the beans, tomatoes and broth
Add the beans and their liquid, tomatoes and broth. Cook until thickened, then stir in the apple cider vinegar.
Garnish and Serve
Divide into bowls, then top how you’d like! With shredded cheese, cilantro, scallions, sour creamu002du002d however you like your chili!
Tips for Success
I really like Impossible meat for this impossible chili recipe, but you can use other meat alternatives. I’ve tested this with Beyond Meat and it works.
The only caveat to that would be to make sure you actually like the taste of your meat alternative. If you don’t like it’s flavor, then you won’t like it in this Impossible chili.
Browning the tomato paste into the onions will add a nice depth of flavor and I don’t recommend rushing it– it should take a few minutes to brown lightly.
Is Impossible Meat Healthy?
As a Registered Dietitian, I get this question all the time. The studies comparing plant-based meat alternatives and meat are recent, but they all show a benefit in consuming these types of products.
Recent studies, including the SWAP-MEAT study and subsequent reviews, suggest that plant-based meat alternatives like Impossible Meat can offer nutritional benefits compared to traditional ground beef. This is because they contain a little fiber, which meat doesn’t, and are naturally lower in saturated fat and cholesterol-free.
The SWAP-MEAT study also suggests that replacing meat with plant-based alternatives may reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Additionally, the production of plant-based meat alternatives has a significantly lower environmental impact, requiring less land, water, and contributing fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
More Recipes Using Meat Alternatives
- Potato, Spinach and Sausage Soup
- Spicy Vegan Pasta with Sausage
- Vegan Sausage and Farro Stuffed Squash
- Rigatoni and Sausage Pasta
- Creamy Vegan Gnocchi Soup
If you make this Impossible chili, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating. Your feedback helps other readers and seeing you make my recipes makes my day.
Impossible Meat Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced white or yellow onion
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1 package Impossible Ground Meat
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 15 ounce cans kidney beans
- 1 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes (fire-roasted if you can find it!)
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Preferred Toppings of choice: shredded cheese, scallions, avocado, cilantro, sour cream
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and salt and cook until onion is tender, about 8 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook another 30 seconds until just fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often, until the tomato paste is darkened and coating the onions.
- Add the Impossible meat and all of the spices: chili powder, cumin, cocoa powder, oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Add the beans and their liquid, the crushed tomatoes, and the broth, and stir to combine. Simmer over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chili is slightly thickened, about 30 minutes. If the chili is too thick, add in more broth.
- Taste, adding salt as preferred. Then, stir in the apple cider vinegar. Divide into bowls and top with preferred toppings, and enjoy.